Laminated tape structures including a central layer of polymeric film or foam with layers of adhesive on its opposite major surfaces (e.g., Wallsaver (t.m.) Removable poster tape, 3M (t.m.) Automotive attachment Tape, or 3M (t.m.) Acrylic Foam Tape, all available from; Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn.) have been used to bond the opposed surfaces of two objects together, such as to bond a wall hanging such as a poster, plaque, or a picture to a wall. When such a tape structure in which the adhesive is a high tack pressure sensitive adhesive (e.g., the 3M (t.m.) Acrylic Foam Tape) is used for that purpose, it is often difficult to later separate the objects. The tape structure is positioned in a very narrow area between the objects where it is not readily accessible, particularly when the tape structure is between a rigid wall hanging and a wall. Typically, an attempt is made to either cut the tape structure in half with a knife or similar implement poked between the objects, or one object (e.g., a wall hanging) is twisted on or pulled from the other object (e.g., a wall), often resulting in damage to one or both of the objects.
Laminated structures are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,137 (Frye) that include outer attachment layers having opposite major surfaces defined by pressure sensitive adhesive that can be adhered to the opposed surfaces of closely spaced objects so that the laminated structures support one object from the other, and a separable layer of non-fusible porous material such as tissue paper between the outer attachment layers that can be separated by an outward exertion on one of the outer attachment layers away from the other.
Strips having opposite major surfaces at least partially defined by pressure sensitive adhesive have been developed that can be used to bond objects together, and can subsequently be stretched by pulling on tab portions at ends of the strips to cleanly separate the adhesive bonds between the strips and the objects they had previously joined (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,189 (Luhmann), U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,464 (Hammerski et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,58(Kreckel et al), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/308,937 (Bries et al). While such stretch releasable strips work well, the tab portion at the end of such a strip joining two or more objects should be positioned where it can be engaged by a person who later wishes to separate the objects. One of the objects can be specially made with a removable portion that covers that tab portion (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,464, Hammerski et al), or, if one of the objects is flexible, that flexible object may be bent to afford access to that tab portion. In many instances where rigid objects are joined, however, it may be necessary to allow the tab portion to project from between the joined objects to afford such engagement with that tab portion to remove the stretchable strip from between the objects. Such a projecting tab portion can be aesthetically objectionable.